Candidates from three minor political parties are appealing a decision by Judge John E. Jones III in which he rejected the argument that they face an unfair burden because of the requirement that they obtain more than 67,000 signatures in order to be placed on the 2006 ballot.
Jones, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, ruled earlier this month in Rogers v. Cortes, PICS Case No. 06-0530 (M.D. Pa. April 4, 2006) Jones, J. (23 pages) that there were valid state interests in requiring the candidates from minor political parties to receive more signatures than even the major political party candidates (who have to get 2,000 signatures), as well as more signatures than there are members in their individual parties.
